Report: Boy Scouts close to ending ban on gay members, leaders

Decision could come as soon as next week

Published 1:44 PM EST Jan 28, 2013

The Boy Scouts of America, one of the nation's largest private youth organizations, is actively considering an end to its decades-long policy of banning gay scouts or scout leaders, according to scouting officials and outsiders familiar with internal discussions, NBC News' Pete Williams first reported Monday.

According to the report, an official announcement could come as soon as next week.

The report says the policy would eliminate the ban from the national organization's rules but would allow local sponsoring organizations to decide for themselves whether to allow gay scouts.

If the group goes through with the change, it would mark a rather stunning reversal in a relatively short period of time.

Last summer, the national Boy Scouts officials affirmed the ban, calling it "the best policy for the organization."

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